December 2011 Volume 8, Issue 3 Newsletter of the Friends of Hatfield Marine Science UpwellingCenter www.hmsc.oregonstate.edu/friends

Chemical Mysteries of the Seafloor by HMSC Volunteers Annie Thorp and Mike Courtney

The Intrepid Volunteers had the privilege of volunteering inquisitive crab on Clare Reimers’ recent cruise off the Oregon Coast. Clare, populations that can who is a faculty member with the OSU College of Oceanic be destructive to and Atmospheric Sciences and is based at HMSC, and fellow sensitive instruments. scientists, Sean Crowe of the University of South Denmark, It also measures the and Moutusi Roy from OSU, are collaborating in research Annie that focuses on the region of the ocean near the seabed on the & Mike, continental shelf. The area where we cruised is understudied intrepid and Clare’s research promises to provide critical data including HMSC

O2 (oxygen) consumption and CO2 (carbon dioxide) production volunteers rates at the seafloor that may prove useful in understanding complex issues such as hypoxia, or “dead zones,” off the velocities of wave Oregon coast. motions and currents at the seabed, which influence oxygen The interrelatedness of physical, chemical and biological consumption. processes occurring in the ocean is difficult to translate into And the fun doesn’t stop when aerobic respiration stops. concepts and language for the “non-science” community. What Beneath the surface sediments in deeper layers, anaerobic is amazing is that these ongoing processes on the ocean floor are (without oxygen) respiration by bacteria occurs and these affecting life processes convert more organic carbon to carbon dioxide. These as we know it. transformations are collectively called early diagenesis, and as The benthic Clare Reimers explains, “Coastal ecosystems are shaped by the zone, which seafloor processes that transport and recycle organic detritus”. includes the This research is establishing a baseline on benthic respiration lowest layers and the waves, currents, and near-bed turbulence that drives of water and respiration in the mid-shelf environment off the Oregon coast. the upper The physical layers of measurements sediment at should also the seafloor, prove useful for wave energy studies Clare installing is actually breathing, both taking in and giving and are instruments on off O2 and CO2. On this cruise we were taking being shared the IMP samples of water with the CTD (conductivity, with other temperature, depth) instrument by lowering it researchers at and a rosette of bottles close to the seabed. We were also taking OSU. sediment samples with a slow corer, an instrument that gradually lowers a tube into the sea floor to bring back an undisturbed Deploying sample of 30 to 70 cm of sediment. the Eddy Two other instruments, the Eddy Lander and the IMP, were left Lander Of course most oceanographic research would

on the bottom to record O2 consumption and profiles, and were not be possible without a ship, the “moving then retrieved up to 20 hours later. These specialized instruments rolling platform” from which any spot on our were developed for the tricky business of monitoring near-bed vast oceans can be reached. Our special thanks to the wonderful processes and probing sediments, the sandy bottom proving crew of the R/V Wecoma who provided the support for this and to be way more difficult to study than mud. The Eddy Lander many other cruises. has a camera that takes photos of the ocean floor, including the Notes from Weber Visiting Fellowship Advances

the Director International Collaboration Dr. Bronwyn Gillanders was HMSC’s most recent Lavern With fall comes a variety of Weber Visiting Fellow, visiting HMSC for several weeks in scientific meetings associated with September 2011 all the way from Australia. Dr. Gillanders marine science. I attended the is a Professor at the School of Earth and Environmental National Association of Marine Sciences and Director of the Marine Biology Program at the Laboratories meeting in Groton, University of Adelaide. She is a leading expert on otolith Connecticut, which addressed (fish ear bone) chemistry and its applications to fish biology issues and concerns from a Dr. George Boehlert, HMSC Director and life history. diversity of marine labs around As a senior scientist with more than 100 professional the country. While all marine labs are unique in some way – publications and an internationally recognized research geographically, scientifically, or in the educational and research program, Dr. Gillanders provided a unique ‘southern programs they support – I am always reminded of the special hemisphere’ research and educational perspective for attributes of the HMSC. With 120 staff from OSU and 180 more HMSC scientists and students. She gave a research talk from 8 different state and federal agencies, we are clearly the entitled “Stock enhancement projects in the Murray-Darling most diverse from an organizational standpoint, and that is a real Basin, Australia: is it just money down the drain?” and strength. And formal recognition of that strength was received as a very well-received presentation for the public, “Giant the Cooperative Institute for Marine Resource Studies (CIMRS) Australian cuttlefish: a globally unique species under was renewed through a national competition. Congratulations to threat”. Michael Banks and Jessica Waddell for their successful proposal Bryan Black, an OSU-HMSC Associate Professor in to keep this long-standing OSU-NOAA collaboration funded. the College of Forestry, hosted Dr. Gillanders’ visit. In The official opening of NOAA’s Marine Operations Center - March 2010 he spent several days in Adelaide teaching a Pacific also expands the diversity of marine science activities workshop on sclerochronology (analysis of growth rings) in Newport. This dedication ceremony in August was a major techniques, helping to complete the first marine otolith community event, and also brought a very large number of growth-increment chronology for the southern hemisphere. elected officials to Newport – and several visiting the HMSC Dr. Gillanders’ visit allowed further development of while here. As I write this note, five NOAA vessels are tied up at research projects and increased collaborative ties between the NOAA facility, and many of the new NOAA staff and ship’s OSU and the University of Adelaide. “Dr. Gillanders’ visit crews are exploring the range of opportunities our community has has kicked off a number of new projects that will compare to offer. fisheries of the North Pacific with those of the South Pacific HMSC’s undergraduate research interns continue to distinguish and Southern Ocean,” says Black. “I thank the Weber themselves and their mentors through scientific presentations at Visiting Scientist program for the unique opportunity to national and international scientific meetings. Record numbers of work directly with Dr. Gillanders here at HMSC to enrich presentations from summer 2011 interns include six posters at the both our research programs.” Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, one at the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation meeting in Florida, three at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco, seven at the Ocean Science Meeting in Salt Lake City, and one each at the Heceta Head Coastal Conference and the Western Society of Naturalists meeting. Finally, a few words of appreciation for the programs that HMSC’s donors make possible. In 2011, we had for the first time two Lavern Weber Visiting Fellows at HMSC in a year. Bronwyn Gillanders from Australia was the first international Weber Fellow, and gave some rather stimulating talks during her visit to HMSC to work in Bryan Black’s laboratory. We have also received a generous donation that will stimulate work in Yaquina Bay by OSU’s “Marine Team” in the coming year; look for updates in future issues of Upwelling. These donations broaden Dr. Bronwyn Gillanders is shown in the photo with our ability to attract top visiting scientists, and former HMSC Director Dr. Lavern Weber, whose to make the experiential education at HMSC a endowment makes the Visiting Fellow Program possible. superb one for our students.

Thank you for your support. To become a member of the Friends of HMSC, or for more information, please see http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/friends/ Page 22 Sea Grant Briefs Oregon Sea Grant receives $2.6 million NSF grant for learning research by Harrison Baker Oregon Sea Grant’s Free-Choice Learning (FCL) Laboratory has received a 2.6 million dollar, five-year grant from the National Graduate Research Assistant Science Foundation to carry out innovative learning research. The For more information about the Free-Choice Learning FCL Lab is based at the Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center. Lab, you can visit the FCL Blog at blogs.oregonstate.edu/ Shawn Rowe, Lab Director and acting Director of Education freechoicelab/ or follow us on Twitter@FreeChoiceLab. for Oregon Sea Grant, anticipates that with this new funding the Sea Grant Free-Choice Leaning Initiative at HMSC is taking the next step to being a premier research facility for researchers both at OSU and around the country. For the first time, learning researchers will be able to both control exhibit behaviors and access learning data from visitors remotely. The grant will allow the FCL Lab to develop new tools such as facial recognition, eye-tracking and handheld augmented- reality systems to study visitor behavior. These technologies can also be used to make more exciting and interactive exhibits for visitors. For example, a facial recognition system can work in concert with other technologies to tailor exhibit content to each visitor’s knowledge level. Three new exhibits, each serving as a specialized research platform, will be developed over the next 4 years in the Visitor Center. Additionally, HMSC will be hosting up to a dozen visiting scholars over the next 5 years. Shawn Rowe videotaping HMSC visitors to better understand how people interact with living organisms

Marine Investigations Camp 2011 by Tracy Crews Marine Education Coordinator This summer, Oregon Sea Grant once again ran day camps at Hatfield Marine Science Center for youth 8 to 18 years old. These camps allowed participants to experience marine science through fieldtrips, hands-on programs, behind-the-scenes tours, and interactions with researchers. Activities included kayaking, tidepooling, building mini- ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles), and touring research vessels. Campers came from all over the United States and even Germany and Taiwan. Nine scholarships were provided to local youth through generous donations by the Friends of HMSC and Georgia Pacific.

Page 3 HMSC Briefs Dedication of the NOAA Marine Operation Center - Pacific The new NOAA Marine Operations Center - Pacific in Newport was dedicated on August 20, with strong support from the coastal and statewide community. The dedication was followed by a two- day Open House, allowing approximately 3,500 visitors a unique opportunity to tour the normally secure facility. Dedication ceremony speakers included Governor John Kitzhaber, Senator Ron Wyden, Congressman Kurt Schrader, Newport Mayor Mark McConnell, Port Commission President JoAnn Barton and Port General Manager Don Mann. Representing NOAA was Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator and OSU Faculty. President Ed Ray represented OSU at the event.

Sen. Ron Wyden, Gov. John Kitzhaber and Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic Gov. John Kitzhaber and First Lady and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), talk Marine Science Drive sported new Cylvia Hayes took time to tour HMSC while during the dedication ceremony of the new NOAA banners on light posts, celebrating the diverse in Newport, and are shown with Renee facility in Newport. organizations that make up our South Beach Bellinger of HMSC’s Project CROOS. Marine Science Community.

Volunteer Corner

Itchung Cheung, Academic In addition to working Program Coordinator at in the Visitor Center HMSC, became President of (VC) interpreting Board of Directors at Oregon marine science to the Coast Council for the Arts general public, many in August 2011. Itchung of our volunteers exemplifies the many, many work in a “behind Hatfield faculty, staff and the scenes” capacity. students who volunteer in These volunteers may their communities. A Board donate their time to member since 2008, Itchung help with exhibit development and maintenance, office work, was elected to the position or with animal husbandry. Volunteering since 2002, Nancy of President by his fellow Edwards took on a large project this past summer; working board members. “It’s a wonderful organization that manages to update all VC volunteer emergency and general contact the Newport Performing Arts Center and the Visual Arts Center information. Nancy also added new DVDs to the VC film while at the same time supporting the coastal arts and coastal art catalog. She is now back in Arizona where she spends each communities,” said Itchung. “ I love being part of OCCA!” winter but will return to Newport next summer. Thank you Nancy for all of the time and energy you’ve contributed over Page 4 the past few months (and years)! HMSC Briefs A program designed to train early career scientists in how to lead expeditionary research programs at sea was conducted by OSU-HMSC faculty member Clare Reimers and colleagues from the University- National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), with support from OSU Ship Operations. Each of two sessions began with an informational session ashore followed by a research cruise on the R/V Wecoma, the UNOLS vessel hosted by OSU in Newport. The program’s intention was to “demystify” the process of ship operations, and included the history, purpose and structure of UNOLS and the UNOLS Fleet, which is managed by and for the university research community. It also covered logistics such as preparing proposals and ship time requests. Other highlights were a presentation on the difference in mission between the NOAA and UNOLS fleets, and the “Responsibilities, common mistakes and problems encountered by a chief scientist” at sea. Organizers of the successful training program were Clare Reimers (see story, page 1), Pat Wheeler, and Daryl Swensen, all of whom volunteer their time to make the UNOLS fleet possible.

Although HMSC, as a marine lab, relies on access to seawater and the ocean, our coastal location is not without risk. A Tsunami Evacuation Drill was conducted on October 5 for Newport’s South Beach Peninsula, home to HMSC and other marine science and public-serving organizations whose facilities are in the inundation zone. Almost 200 participants walked to HMSC’s nearest evacuation point, the hill just west of the entrance to the Yaquina Bay Bridge, which at 85 feet high was recently dubbed “Safe Haven Hill”. A team of community partners led by Newport Police assisted by briefly closing Highway 101 so “evacuees” could cross safely to access the trail to the top of the hill. Preparations continue for the possibility of a Cascadia earthquake off the coast of Oregon, which is expected to produce tsunami inundation similar to the devastating March 2011 earthquake in Japan.

Honor Roll

Chelle Boswell, an employee in HMSC’s The National Weather Ser- business office, was presented with the vice recently honored Clay ALL STAR award at the OSU Finance and Creech for 35 years of ser- Administration’s annual picnic in July 2011. vice maintaining the official Chelle was recognized with their highest weather station at HMSC. award for her Clay received his 35-year pin actions and at a ceremony on August 25 achievements on the HMSC Campus, and exemplifying is shown in the photo (third the from left) with (l to r) Michael department’s Banks, Director of the OSU- core values of NOAA Cooperative Institute Accountability, for Marine Resources Studies, former HMSC Director Lavern Weber, and Gerald Diversity, Macke of the National Weather Service. The photo was taken by Janet Webster, Integrity, Director of the OSU Guin Library, which hosts the weather station, and many Respect and Social Responsibility. Those others from the HMSC Community also attended. Clay’s weather page is the working with Chelle know that this prestigious most visited page of the HMSC website! Go to hmsc.oregonstate.edu and click honor is well-deserved. Congratulations! on “Weather”. Page 5 HMSC Academic Program News What do you get when you combine scientific calculators, sand and sea?

What better way to learn linear algebra, vector calculus and natural sciences” held on the Oregon Coast is a 9-day residential differential equations then at the beach? This fall marks the program combining an intensive review of applied mathemat- third year that OSU’s College of Oceanic & Atmospheric Sci- ics with scientific lectures and field trips exploring the coastal ences (COAS) has offered their “Math Boot Camp” at HMSC. environment. This year, 10 students housed at HMSC were led COAS Physical Oceanographer Bill Smyth developed the course by COAS Professor Dudley Chelton through mornings of linear concept to meet the needs of incoming students in the COAS algebra, vector calculus and differential equations and afternoons program before the traditional OSU Fall term. “OC599 - Math on full of field excursion exploring the Oregon Coast’s currents, the Beach: A workshop on basic mathematical methods for the waves, forests, beaches and the Cascadia subduction zone.

University Bridge Programs Connect HMSC with OSU

At the beginning of OSU’s fall term, HMSC experiences HMSC’s Academic Programs. More and more, OSU programs a rush of student group visits from new students to student and students are visiting HMSC as part of their orientation and ambassadors. Many of these education about the many visits are associated with opportunities in research, CONNECT Week, OSU’s education and outreach here orientation week prior to the at HMSC. Many of these start of classes. In addition outreach, recruitment and to the new students enrolled retention programs learn in courses at HMSC for and inform current, new and the Fisheries & Wildlife future OSU students, staff and Fall Term, university faculty about the academic summer “bridge” groups and research opportunities that from programs such as exist at their HMSC. College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and the Louis Stokes Alliance for HMSC graduate student Minority Participation Alana Alexander shares her Bridge Program (LSAMP) cetacean genetics research with LSAMP students. visit to learn more about

Page 6 HMSC Academic Program News Student Research: A Cetacean Adventure In French Polynesia by Renee Albertson, OSU Graduate Student haystack. To As an OSU graduate student in HMSC’s Marine Mammal make it more Institute, I am investigating the worldwide population structure complicated, there and differentiation in the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno is very little data bredanensis), including a unique collection from insular on this species populations around islands of the South Pacific. I embarked in this or other on this month-long project in October, along with my areas of French collaborators, Michael Poole, Daniel Webster, Pamela Carzon, Polynesia, so we and volunteer Jim Sumich, to collect biopsy skin samples are relying on from this little studied species in the Society Islands of French current sightings Polynesia. from fishermen In addition to valuable genetic information contained in the and boaters, as biopsy samples, we are also collecting photographs of the well as sighting dorsal fins. Dolphins can be identified by unique nicks and information from scars on their dorsal fins. Our research team compares the new previous studies. dorsal fin photos with our French Polynesia photo catalog It may seem a looking for resights to determine where these individuals may daunting task, but have been seen previously. Combined with the genetic data, that does not deter we will be able to ascertain a lot about habitat utilization, us from continuing social structure and movement around the Leeward Islands and our efforts to learn within French Polynesia. This provides government agencies more about this with valuable information on how to manage this species, elusive species. which faces ever-increasing anthropogenic threats. We have now The challenge of this project is covering the vast habitat doubled our sample size during this project and that’s exciting! range. These dolphins inhabit deep waters, generally between By the time this newsletter goes to print, I’ll be back in the 1,000 to 2,000 meters, but sometimes are seen in depths of lab in Newport, but to read about our adventures, check out only 200 meters, and even observed in shallow waters near our blog at: http://mmi.oregonstate.edu/french_polynesia. the reef. So the survey area covers transects between 200 m This work is made possible in part by the Pew Trust, Mamie from the reef to 6 km offshore. That’s a lot of water, and it Markham Research Award and Dolphin and Whale Watch sometimes feels like our team is looking for a needle in a Expeditions.

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Staying Connected at HMSC tour the research vessel with the ship’s crew. Nearly forty F&W undergrads heard from FW faculty and interns about the research, courses and internships at HMSC. During the walking tour of HMSC, students had the opportunity to hear Markus Horning (FW faculty and Marine Mammal Institute) explain his research using life history tags to better understand Weddell seals. The group also received student perspectives from two undergraduates, Dylan McDowell and Mee-ya Monin, who shared their internship experience at HMSC. In fact, Mee-ya is still in hers and is in Antarctica right now. You can follow her blog at: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/ hailingfrozenthoughts/

OSU Fisheries & Wildlife undergrads learn about current research on marine invasive species A highlight every year at the end of OSU’s with HMSC’s Dr. John Chapman. CONNECT week is the OSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife’s annual visit OSU undergrad Mee-ya Monin and introduction to HMSC. In addition to (second from left) is blogging from exploring the mudflats with John Chapman, Antarctica about her research this year students boarded the R/V Wecoma to experience with Weddell seals. Page 7 Hatfield Marine Science Center 2030 SE Marine Science Drive Newport, OR 97365 www.hmsc.oregonstate.edu/friends

Upwelling is produced and distributed 3 times a year to the Friends of HMSC membership. Your feedback is welcome. (email: [email protected]) First successful forecast of an undersea volcano

Bill Chadwick, a geologist at HMSC, and Scott Nooner, of Columbia University, have been monitoring Axial Seamount, an undersea volcano located about 250 miles off the Oregon coast for more than a decade. They recently discovered a new eruption on an expedition this summer aboard the R/V Atlantis. Using Jason (see photo), a remotely operated robotic vehicle (ROV), Chadwick, Nooner and HMSC research assistants Susan Merle, Matt Fowler, and Leigh Evans discovered a new lava flow on the seafloor that was not present a year ago. Instruments recovered during the cruise showed that the eruption took place on April 6 of this year. “It’s funny,” Chadwick said. “When we first arrived on the seafloor, we thought we were in the wrong place because it looked so completely different. We couldn’t find our markers inflating at the rate of 15 centimeters (six inches) per year, or monitoring instruments or other distinctive features on the indicating that magma was rising and accumulating under the bottom. Once we figured out that an eruption had happened, we volcano summit. were pretty excited.” During the 1998 eruption, the floor of the caldera suddenly What makes the event so intriguing is that these scientists had subsided or deflated by 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) when magma was forecast the eruption starting five years ago – the first successful removed from underground to erupt at the surface. The scientists forecast of an undersea volcano. A 2006 paper in the Journal estimated that the volcano would be ready to erupt again when of Volcanology and Geothermal Research forecasted that Axial re-inflation pushed the caldera floor back up to its 1998 level. would erupt before the year 2014. Bill Chadwick is part of the Cooperative Institute for Marine Axial Seamount is one of the most active and intensely studied Resource Studies – a joint NOAA/Oregon State University seamounts in the world. It last erupted in 1998 and Chadwick institute based at HMSC. Their expedition was jointly funded by and his NOAA Vents Program colleagues have monitored it the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the ever since. Their forecast was based on a time-series of seafloor National Science Foundation. For more information, see: pressurePage measurements8 that indicated the volcano was gradually http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/axial_site.html